Opener



y 3, 1952 A. M. ALEXANDRESCU 2,596,459

OPENER Filed March 15, 1946 2 saws-swam 1 INVFJVTOR.

' ALEXANDER M. ALEXA/VDRESCU A TTOR/VE Y5 y 13, 1952 A. M. ALEXANDRESCU 2,596,459

OPENER Filed March 15, 1946 '2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. ALEXANDER M. ALEXANDRESCU BY 4 M016 ATTORNE Y5 Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to openers such as may be used in households, restaurants or other establishments for opening cans, jars and bottles.

It is an object of the invention to provide a convenient and versatile opener which may be used for opening round or rectangular tin cans, for piercin small or relatively large holes in tin can containing fluid, for lifting lids of cans or jars of the types which are held in place by friction or by vacuum, and for removing bottle caps.

Another object of the invention is to provide devices, embodying certain features of a combination opening device, for specialized opening operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide openers of the type which are forced into a can with structure for guidin the blade.

Another object of the invention is to provide openers of the type which are forced into a can with structure for limiting the depth of insertion of the blade.

Another object of the invention is to provide openers of the type which are forced into a can with structure for guarding the blade, both to protect the blade and to protect persons against accidental contact therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide 'a can opener of the type in which a blade is rotated about a fulcrum at the center of the can top which automatically guides the cutting blade in a path adjacent the rrargin of the can lid.

A further object of the invention is to provide an opening device for cans containin fluid which is ada ted to pierce a hole immediately adjacent the side of the can.

A further object of the invention is to provide openers which are especially adapted to economical manufacture.

Other objects and advantages more or less ancillary to the foregoing, and t e manner in which all the various obects are realized, will appear in the following description, which, considered in connection with the accom anying drawings, sets forth the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of one form of combination opening device embodying the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial front view of the same form;

Fig. 3 is a partial rear view of the same form;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of one part of the opener shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a partial view illustrating a modification of the form of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 illustrates the manner in which the cutting blade of the form of Fig. 1 is guided into engagern nt with a can which is being opened;

Fig. 7 is a front view of a modified form of opener;

Fig. 8 is an end view of the opener shown in Fig. 7;.

Fig. 9 is a front view of a simplified form of opener;

Fig. 10 is a side view of the opener shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a front view of a form of opener specially adapted for opening cans containing fluid;

Fig. 12 is a side view of the same;

Fig. 13 is a view of a modified form of opening device for beverage cans and bottles;

Fig. 14 is another view of the same;

Fig. 15 is a view of a simplified form of opener especially adapted for removing jar and can lids.

The combination opening device shown in Figs. 1-4 comprises a handle 29 into which is forced a shank 2i. Disposed on one side of the shank is the combination blade member 22, formed with a cutting blade 23 on its lower surface, a hook it, 'w-ich cooperates with the shank to form a cap lifter, and a bit 2-5 extending from one side which is particularly adapted for prying off jar lids and the like. The shapes of the blade 23 and the bit 25 which have been found to give most eifective operation will be described in conneetion with other forms of the opener.

A member 26' is mounted on the other side of the shank from the blade member 22, members 25 and 22 being secured to the shank by rivets 21. At its lower end, the member 26 constitutes a piercing blade for cans. having a sharp terminal portion 29 of small cross-sectional area and a J-rhaned heeled portion 3i) immediately above t e point 29. When it is desired to form a small hole in a can, as for the admission of air, t e point 28 nay be forced into the can by a small force exerted on the handle it, and penetration of the point 29 will be stopped by the engagement of the blade 39 with the surface of the can.

In case it should be desired to produce a larger opening, a greater force on the handle 20 will force the blade 38 into the can, producing a relatively large opening.

ihe upper end of member 26 constitutes a pintle 3| formed by pointing and recurvingthe end of the member 25. The pintle 3| comprises a portion 32 of relatively small radius and a slightly curved portion 33 directed approximately at a 45 angle to the shank. A guided cutter structure 3 (Figscl, 3, and 4) is slidably mounted on the shank 2!. The structure 3 5 may be formed from a single generally cruciform blank of sheet metal, and has two opposed arms engaged around the shank for sliding engagement therewith, and another arm but at right angles to form a cutter 36 with a cutting edge 3? thereon. The fourth arm may be bent as shown to form a member 38 disposed parallelto the blade.

In one manner of use of the improved opener, an opening (Fig. 6) is pierced near the center of the top of a can with the point 29. The pintle 3| is then engaged in the hole, the guide member 38 is engaged with the edge of the can, and the handle is pressed down,.f,orcing the blade 36 into the can, pintle 3! serving asa fulcrum. By rotation of the handle inxthe plane ofthe top of the can, the blade 36 is caused to traverse the margin thereof, cutting out the lid, the guide member 38 constraining the blade to a'path adjacent the rim of the can. Another feature or" the improved opener is that member 2a may be made long enough so that when it is employed to open cans of a moderate or small size, member 26 overlies the edge of the can opposite blade 38, thus tending to maintain the blade 36 in the can and counteracting its obvious tendency to ride out'of the can when the handle is moved in the plane of the top. The pintle 3i serves as a fulcrum for the action of the force exerted by the can on the outer portion of the member 2%. Itwill be noted that because of the angle between. the pintle and the shank, as the pintle isforced into the opening 40, the blade 36 is brought into piercing engagement with the top of the can.

.As shown in Fig. 5, the advantages of the guide member 38 for'maintaining the blade 36 near the edge of .a can may be realized in a simpler form of the invention in which the pintle 3! is omitted. In the simplified form, the lower end of the shank-2| is reduced in section, bent at right angles to form a pintlelll, and bent again at right angles to form a piercing point 42. thisfform, the point 42 may be forced into the can, and then, by lowering'the handle, the pintle portion llmay be employed as a fulcrum for the cutter 36. In this form the member 25 is, of courseyomitted, and it is preferable to omit the combination blade 22.

The cutting bladeSB is, of course, adapted only 'for opening round cans, but the cutting blade 23 may be employed to remove the lids from cans of any shape, as'will be seen by reference to the modified form of opener shown in Figs. Tand 8 which is provided with a blade ,23 of the same a the blade 23 by a rectangular piece of thick sheet metal 48. The cutting edge 23 is disposed at an angle to the axis of the handle and shank so as to obtain a gradual shearing action of the can top as the blade is forced into it.

The blade 23 is slightly dished .so that the cutting edge as seen from 'below (Fig. 8) is curved and tends to produce aslightly curved cut in a can top. With the blade 23 the lid of the can is removed'by a series of cuts made with the blade, each cut beginning at the end of the one previously formed. It will be noted that the blade is guided into engagement with the edge of the can top by member 26 in the form of Fig. l, and by blade member 4? in the form of Fig. 7. The motion of the blade 23 into the can is automatically terminated by engagement of the end of the shank 2i (Fig. 1) or the'lower end of spacer 48 (Fig. 8), preventing the thrust from carrying the blade deep into the can and providing foreasier operation of the blade.

These advantages may, however, be secured in a somewhat different manner as illustrated by the modified form of Figs. 9 and 10, in which the ,only opening device shown is the cutting blade 23 mounted on shank 2| by rivets 21. The blade 23 is of the same general form as those of Figs. .3 and 7. The shank 2| is provided with an integral offset extension 59 slightly displaced from, and parallel to, the blade 23 and extending beyond the blade. to guide the blade adjacent theedg'egof, a can, and the shoulder where extensionfiil joins the main portion' of the shank 2i will serve to limit the depth of insertion of the blade. In addition, the form, of guide' member illustrated in Figs. Qand 10 serves as a protective device, since the extension beyond the blade will protect the blade frorn'accidental contact with objects which might damage it, andprovidea safety device againstaccidental contact of a person with the blade. 7

This'protective construction of the shank is also employed in the modified piercing devicefor opening cans containing fluid illustrated in .1 Figs. 11 and 12. This form employs-a blade 5! which may be re arde -a alt rn y for-the bl i! of Fig. 7 and ZQ-of Fig. 2. While eachof these blades is shownin a particular modification of the device, any form of the blade may be 7 used with any'mo ifi ti n the emainins- DQ t n of the device. The blade BI is secured to the shank by rivets 2i, and the sideadjacent'the shank is flat. The reverse side ofthe bladeis beveled awayat 52 and'53 to-form cutt ing edges 54 and 55. In the use of this typefiof blade, it is plunged into the canadjacent the edge thereof. being guided by the member 50. Since the cutting blade is beveled only on the side away from the edge of the can, it has an inherent tendency to force itself toward the edge of the can and produce an opening immediately against the edgeof the can.

Another manner in which thedepth of insertion of a piercing blade for juice cans may be controlled is'exemplified in the modified form of opening device illustrated in Figs. l3-and l4. In this form, the piercing blade 41 is formed onthe end of the shank 2i. Projections 55 extending 7 from the edge of the shank limit the movement of the blade into the can. Of course, the projeca tions 55 may be of any convenient shape such as that of bit '25. If desired, economies of manuiacture may be obtained by the use of only one such-projection.

In the form of Fig. 13, a handle 57, for pushing the blade into-the can is formed by curving the shank back on itself. The re-curvedend of the shank may conveniently be disposed the proper distance from the shank to serve as a hook "for bottle caps. The shank isslightly curved at 52 in the opposite direction from the curve employed in forming of the handle in order that the shank 2! will have a slight initial elevation when the device is used as a cap lifter. In this way the danger of accidental contact between the fingers The extension 55) may be used and the bottle is reduced. This same feature is exemplified in a somewhat different form in Fig. 7, in which the shank is reduced at 59 so that when the hook 24 is engaged with the underside of a cap the handle 45 slopes upward.

As has been stated, the bit 25 (Figs. 3 and 7), is provided for removing pressure sealed lids from jars or friotionally held lids such as are sometimes pressed into cans. The conformation of the bit 25 will be described in connection with Fig. 15, which illustrates a simplified form of opener designed solely for the employment of the bit 25. In this device the shank 2| and the bit 25 are stamped from a single piece of sheet metal of appropriate gauge. Bit 25 is adapted to be inserted between, for example, the lid of a jar and the shoulder usually provided on the jar immediately below the lid. The face of bit 25 is concave to fit around the cylindrical surface of a jar and provide for better engagement of its edges 60. The shank is cut away at 61 so that the concave surface of the bit is approximately in alignment with one edge of the shank 21 in order to decrease the offset of the shank, and diminish the tendency for the device to rotate about an axis through the forward face of the bit when it is employed to pry up a lid.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, it is to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of detail may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

I claim:

1. A can opener comprising a handle, a shank extending from said handle, and a blade extending from said shank, said blade having a single sharp cutting edge which is curved and concave,

the chord of said curved edge forming an acute angle with the axis of said shank to form a blade that progressively cuts a slot in a can in response to axial force applied to said handle and shank, said curved edge being substantially bisected by the medial axis of said shank.

2. A can opener comprising a handle, a shank extending from said handle, and a blade extending from said shank, said blade having a single sharp cutting edge which is curved and concave, the chord of the curve of said edge forming an acute angle with the axis of said shank to form a blade that progressively cuts a slot in. a can in response to axial force applied to said handle and shank, said blade being relatively wide and being slightly curved about an axis generally parallel to that of said shank to accommodate a rounded can, said curved edge being substantia1ly bisected by the medial axis of said shank.

ALEXANDER M. ALEXANDRESCU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 560,905 Larrabee May 26, 1896 974,484 Hall Nov. 1, 1910 1,170,386 Anderson Feb. 1, 1916 1,358,452 Larson Nov. 9, 1920 1,387,396 Herchen Aug. 9, 1921 1,406,750 Minor Feb. 14, 1922 1,763,391 Druhe June 10, 1930 1,839,474 Gadd Jan. 5, 1932 2,094,114 Avery Sept, 28, 1937 2,218,437 Punte Oct. 15, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 365,800 Great Britain -Jan. 28, 1932 

